Megalomania
by M-iikado
Summary: Rock Star/Bodyguard AU. Jack is the lead singer and youngest member of the rising band, The Guardians. After a year-long tour, his manager, North, decides to force him back to college to tone down his diva attitude. But to ensure his safety, he'll be stuck with a bodyguard, a surprisingly young brunet known as Hiccup.
1. First Encounters

**Hey there! M-iikado here with a new Hijack/Frostcup story I randomly came up with one day, and I just thought I'd give it a shot. **

**I can't help it, I have a head cannon that Jack is a huge Diva, and I just wanted to see how far I could push it. I hope I don't go too out of character, though.**

**I have a few ideas for the rest of it, but it'll all depend on my motivation to write it, so let me know if you enjoyed this chapter, and if you want to see more of it! Enjoy!**

* * *

Jack wasn't exactly pleased to be sitting in the tiny office of his manager, on the rough chair that dug into his legs, and with no air-conditioning to boot. He could feel the eyes of his… colleagues, drilling holes in his back as they awkwardly waited for the huge Russian man to make his entrance.

He and the two traitors standing next to him were part of the new hot rock band that was holding the records in the music industry, also known to the fans as The Guardians. Tooth, the petite brunette with rainbow-coloured strands of hair and an outfit just as colourful, was the bassist and worked the chorus. Aster, a tall Australian guy with short hair dyed grey and tattoos covering every inches of his arms and neck, was the drummer. And Jack, nicknamed "Jack Frost" for his spiky hair bleached bright white, was the singer, guitarist and youngest member of the band. He was barely 20, whereas the other two were already old enough to pay taxes.

Truthfully, Jack knew that his ages wasn't an issue. He was the most important member, the essence of the band. They were nothing without him… But statements like this were the sole reason he was now suffering through the heat of the tiny, poorly lit office.

Jack sunk deeper into his seat, crossing his arms over his chest and grumbling to himself, when the office door slammed opened and North, a bulky Russian man that worked as their manager, walked into the office.

« A Jack! Good to see you, my friend! Wonderful day today, yes? »

Jack sighed. If North was anything, aside from frighteningly _huge_, he was a constantly jolly man. Nothing seemed to ever bring him down. Which pissed Jack off to no end.

« Not exactly » Jack muttered « North why was I _literally_ dragged in here by those two » he gestured at his fellow band members, not even bothering to glance at them.

« Because I asked you to come often, but you never listened! So I asked Toothy and Bunny for help! » North clapped his hands « And they did wonderful job, too. Now, I have big announcement! »

« Wassat? » Jack raised an eyebrow suspiciously

« You just finished world-wide tour for band, which was big success! » North smiled widely, pulling his office chair and sitting in front of the younger boy « Now you have lots of free time, and I had _brilliant_ idea! »

Jack flinched. North's "brilliant" ideas were rarely good, let alone brilliant. They usually meant that he was in deep trouble, and had to be dealt with quickly.

« Starting next week » North continued before pointing at Jack « You will be going to college, to learn new things and meet new people »

« _What?_ » Jack hissed.

« Yes! You will be taking lessons and going to classes, like normal 20-years-old boy »

The white-haired teen fell back in his chair, anger flaring as he heard Aster snickering behind him. He glared towards his manager « You're kicking me out of the band? »

« Rimsky-Korsakov, no! » North laughed « You all have free time before recording of new album, and the company agreed that you should go back to your studies, at least for a while » The Russian man's smile softened at Jack's murderous expression « Jack, no one here is getting rid of you. You are important part of the band » he lifted a finger « All three of you » he added before the teen could shoot a cocky grin at the other two « But we all think you need to take some time for yourself, to see how the world is out there »

« _Bullshit!_ » Jack spat « What's really going on here? » he turned to glare at Aster and Tooth, before going back to his manager « I'm not a kid anymore, North. If you have something to tell me, spit it out! »

The man's smile flattened slightly, and he frowned.

« Jack » he said « A band is like carefully made watch. It cannot work if every single piece is not in place » he intertwined his fingers as a demonstration « It is important for the good of all that everyone here works together and gives their best. What I'm saying is— »

« What he's saying » Aster cut him off « Is that we can't have the band running with you constantly acting like a bloody show-pony! »

« Aster, you son of a b— »

« _Jack! _» Tooth interrupted, worry written all over her face.

« Jack... » North spoke again, more softly this time « Lately you've had poor image among press. You act rude, arrive late... This won't work anymore » he sighed « If you don't respect fans, they will leave » the man shook his head « So we think that getting you out of celebrity-world, into real-life, will benefit both you and the band » when Jack didn't stop glaring, he added « We are doing this for your own good, trust me »

« This is the worst idea ever » Jack flung his arms in the air « You can't just dump me into a shitty college and expect everything to go smoothly! People will recognise me and it'll be a riot before I even set foot inside the building! »

« That's why we hired protection » North nodded « You will have personal bodyguard following you all the time, so nothing can harm you »

« Yeah sure » Jack laughed darkly « Add a 500 pound gorilla in a suit to the mix, that'll help me stay on the low! »

« No gorilla » North shook his head « We hired young boy from special unit. He has same age as you »

Right on cue, North motioned towards the door, and someone stepped in. Jack's eyes widened incredulously at the sight of the brunet standing in the door-frame. The kid was probably a foot shorter than him, if not more. He was gawky and awkward-looking, with arms and legs that reassembled twigs more than they did limbs. His auburn hair fell over forest green eyes as he stared at the floor, clearly uncomfortable.

« _Seriously?_ » Jack hissed as North motioned for the kid to come closer «_ That_'s what you hired to protect me? I mean look at the kid! He looks too frail to even take care of _himself_, let alone someone else! »

The boy crunched his nose and rolled his eyes. With an annoyed huff, and before anyone could react, he quickly grabbed Jack's arm and snapped it behind his back, using his free hand to smash his head against the desk. Jack yelped and tried to wiggle out of the boy's iron grip, but to no avail.

« I don't know how much you're paying the kid » Aster said with a grin « But it's definitely not enough »

Jack groaned, and as he was about to yell, another set of steps made their entrance in the office.

« Hiccup, let the boy go » a deep voice ordered. The brunet complied, but still grinned in satisfaction as Jack rubbed his painful limbs. « How many times have I told you to behave? »

« Sorry » Hiccup said, but his tone was far from apologetic.

« Ah! Stoick! » North called, standing up to shake the man's hand.

The sight was quite frightening. North was a large man, with a great white beard and arms bigger than Jack's two legs combined. But Stoick was just as large, with a long ginger beard braided towards the end. The man was properly terrifying, and reminded Jack of a Viking.

« Jack this is Stoick. He owns the company I was just telling you about »

Jack held out his hand hesitantly, and tried his best not to cry out when it was nearly crushed to pieces.

« Our unit specialises in cases like yours » the man explained « We train younger people to protect younger celebrities, and to follow them around without making too much of a fuss » he motioned towards the smaller boy, who stepped closer « Hiccup here will be attending the same classes as you, and you two will he cohabiting in a specially secured apartment not too far from your college »

« _Great!_ » Jack clapped sarcastically while standing up « Well thanks for your hard work » he glared around him « And thanks for the _babysitter_ » he hissed, walking out of the office and slamming the door shut behind him.

The office remained silent for a while, all eyes still glued to the door, until North cleared his throat, and smiled at Hiccup.

« Sorry about that, looks like you're going to have your hands full with that one »

Hiccup shrugged « I've seen worse » he said.

« Well enough chit-chat » the Russian man clapped his hands « You better follow him before he tries anything stupid. You'll need time to unpack and get things ready before Monday, anyway. Off you go! »

The brunet nodded, and turned away after bidding his good-byes to everyone. As he reached the door, he felt Aster's hand on his shoulder.

« Do me a favour » he said « Don't forget to ruffle him up a bit for me, alright mate? »

The boy chuckled, and ran after what he knew was going to be a very annoying client.

* * *

**AN: There you go! This was a bit of an introductive chapter, so nothing very interesting really happened, sorry. I have a few different ides regarding what direction the story should take, so I hope I don't mess it up.**

**Anyway, please let me know if you enjoyed the story so far, and if I should keep writing ^^**


	2. Home Sweet Home

**Hey! _M-iikado_ here again! I'm so glad you guys seemed to enjoy the story so far, it really means a lot to me! ****All those nice reviews give me motivation to keep writing, and I really hope I won't disappoint you **

**Anyway, chapter 2 is now up! Enjoy!**

* * *

Hiccup kept digging his nails into the black leather of the steering wheel as the car swallowed the road in front of him. The sun was barely setting, bathing the sky in shades of pink and orange. The city was slowly coming to life, with lights twinkling on and off as the people living in those countless buildings went on to their usual business. It was a pleasant sight, really.

Or, it could've been, if Hiccup hadn't had to suffer through Jack's incessant nagging from the back seat.

They have been driving for less than twenty minutes, but the boy just hadn't shut up a single second since they'd left the building. He kept complaining about the car, the town, the smell, and the situation as a whole. After a while, Hiccup had stopped paying attention, and had tried tuning out Jack's words until they were nothing more than a vague, drowned noise in the background.

When they arrived in the small city of Burgess, where the two would be living and studying for the time being, the sun had already set, and the town was already surrounded by darker, with only the artificial glow from the street lamps to light the eery roads.

After a few more minutes, Hiccup finally pulled over into the parking lot in front of what would be his new home, at least for the time being. The brunet switched off the ignition and pulled out the key, resting his forehead on the steering wheel for a while.

He hadn't exactly been pleased at the idea of sharing a place with the white-haired singer, no matter how short that cohabitation would be. And the prima donna attitude that the other had shown so far had sapped what little motivation the brunet had built up. They had barely been in each other's presence for an hour, and already Hiccup felt like strangling the boy. He was tempted—_so very tempted_—to refuse the job, and tell the bratty celebrity to _go to hell_.

But he couldn't. He had to be professional and act accordingly. His father was counting on him and, truth be told, he really needed the money.

Jack cleared him throat in the back seat of the car, unmoving as his foot tapped in annoyance. Hiccup lifted his head slightly, shooting him a glare in the rear-view mirror.

« What _now_? » he spat, earning an equally displeased scowl from the other boy.

« What are you waiting for? » Jack hissed « Aren't you gonna open the door for me? »

Hiccup choked back a sneering laugh. « What do I look like? » he snapped « Your freaking _boyfriend_? » he grabbed the door handle, swinging the door open and pulling himself out of the car « Open your own goddamn door. »

Rolling his eyes, he walked around the car and opened the trunk, resting against it for a second as he let out an exhausted sigh. _'Get your shit together, Hiccup!'_ the brunet thought, _'You two are going to be living together for Gods know how long, so you might as well make the best of it.'_

He pulled out his bag, swinging it over his shoulder, and stared at the luggage laying in the trunk. Biting his lip, he finally pulled it out as well and set it down on the floor, next to the car._ 'That's right,' _he said to himself, _'Try to be nice, the guy can't be **that **bad after all…'_

As he slammed the trunk, Jack came out of the car. He stopped a few feet away from the brunet, and him a look-over. Frowning, he asked;

« What's the apartment number? »

Hiccup raised an eyebrow at the tone « Apartment 45 » he said, « Third floor »

« Right » Jack huffed, and turned his back at the boy, walking away from the parking lot towards the main building.

The brunet narrowed his eyes, drilling holes into the other's back as he kicked angrily at the floor. « Oh _no _» he said sarcastically—to himself, mostly, as no one else was around to listen— as he picked up the suitcase on the floor « Let _me _take care of that! I _insist_, it's a _pleasure _»

The boy kept grunting and growling until he finally reached the third floor, his back strained from pulling the extra weight. He saw Jack waiting by the door, leaning against the wall and glaring impatiently at him.

« Took you long enough » the white-haired boy groaned.

« Well _excuse _me » Hiccup spat, pulling the apartment key out of his front pocket and ramming it angrily into the door « I might've been quicker if I hadn't had to act like a freaking _porter _with your suitcase »

Jack shrugged, obviously not paying attention to the accusation. Hiccup huffed, and opened the door. Once he had switched on the light, he was greeted by a deafening bark, and Jack jumped back a few steps. The brunet barely had the time to brace himself before he was tackled to the ground by a dark shadow. Much to the white-haired singer's surprise, the boy laid there, laughing as he pushed the jet black dog away from him.

« Toothless! » Hiccup cried out, laughing « Get off, bud! »

The dog, however, didn't cooperate, and instead started licking and drooling all over the boy, whose efforts to push him away were vain.

« Ugh, Toothless no! » the brunet whined, standing back on his feet and wiping his face « I'm glad to see you too, Bud, but you _know _that doesn't wash out! »

Jack stared at the off-putting scene from afar. « What the fuck is _that_? » he asked, disgruntled.

Hiccup glanced up at Jack, seemingly remembering his presence in the hallway. He shot the boy a glare at his phrasing, and answered with a frown.

« _He _» the boy emphasized, holding the dog by its collar to keep him from tackling Jack « Is Toothless. He's a German Shepherd dog I've been working with for years » the boy's eyes could've shot daggers as he continued « He'll be staying with us, as an extra protection »

Jack crunched his nose in disapproval as he stared down at the dog. The beast was freakishly _huge_, probably twice as big as a normal dog should be, and ten times as threatening. Toothless felt the boy's distrust, and started baring his teeth menacingly. Jack frowned when he heard Hiccup reprimanding the dog. _Toothless_, what kind of stupid name was that? The monster obviously had teeth, many of them, and razor-sharp at that.

The white-haired boy straightened his back, and walked passed the dog, into the apartment.

« Whatever » he groaned « Just keep your mutt away from me, I don't want any fleas on my bed »

Hiccup narrowed his eyes, shooting the other a look a pure loathing as he pulled out a walk-talky from his belt and pressed the button, bringing it closer to his lips as he spoke.

« Night Fury to Alpha One » he said, « We have reached planned location. I repeat; We have reached planned location. Over. »

After a second of silence, the device emitted a sizzling sound before an unintelligible voice answered;

« _Alpha One to Night Fury, is the target secured? Over._ »

The brunet glared daggers at Jack, who lazily returned the favor, and spoke again.

« I am currently the only known threat to the target » he said, making sure to break out each syllable menacingly.

« _Hiccup_… » the voice came as a warning, clearly unamused.

« Sorry dad » the boy flinched « Target secured. Over »

Jack raised an eyebrow, not letting that last comment slip.

« _Dad_? » he asked arrogantly.

The brunet gave the other a stern look as the boy started laughing disdainfully.

« That dude's your _dad_? » Jack asked again « You're the boss' _son_? » he smirked « So _that's _how you got the job, huh? No wonder they'd employ a fishbone like you, if daddy's running the business! » Jack ignored the hateful look on the boy's face and kept speaking « And you're supposed to _protect _me? _How_? Look at you! You only got the job 'cause your old man took pity on you! »

Hiccup clenched his fists to his side, trying his best to refrain himself from shoving them down the asshole's throat. His eyes were narrowed in a look a pure hatred.

« What's that? » Jack sneered, walking closer to the shorter boy, and lifting his chin with the tip of his finger as he pouted mockingly « Did I hurt your feelings, daddy's boy? You're not going to cry, are you? »

And with that, Hiccup snapped. He grabbed the other by the collar of his shirt and violently pushed him against the wall. Jack was a good foot taller than him, and looked twice as muscular than he was, but that didn't keep the brunet from pinning him to the wall and pressing his arm against his throat, causing him to yelp in surprise.

« Enough! » he spat, loudly enough to catch Jack off-guard. « I've had enough of you and your _shitty behavior_! » He was yelling, now, but he didn't care if it was almost eleven, if the neighbors would complain. He didn't care if Jack was his client and he was acting unprofessionally. He'd had enough. « I don't know who the fuck you think you are, but don't count on me to put up with your diva attitude like a _fucking lapdog_. I was hired as your _body-guard_, not your fucking _housemaid_. If you don't show me at least a bit of respect, you can go _fuck yourself_ and find someone else to watch over your _pathetic ass_. »

Hiccup released the boy, who fell to the ground, coughing slightly. He glared at him once more.

« I hope I made myself _fucking clear_ » he said, articulating carefully so that the other didn't miss a word he spoke « Because i won't be saying it again »

Jack watched as the brunet picked up his bag from the floor and walked towards his room, Toothless sticking to his heels. He hissed in pain, clutching his throat as he stood up.

« What about dinner? » he spat, glaring arrogantly at the other.

« Do I look like I _fucking care_? » Hiccup snarled « Take care of it yourself »

He slammed the bedroom door behind him, leaving Jack alone in the living room. The white-haired man gave a look around the place, pacing the room, still frowning and obviously pissed.

Never in his life had he been treated that way. He'd make sure to report the incident to North first thing in the morning, hoping he'd get the brunet's sorry ass fired before breakfast.

A growl from his stomach brought the boy back to reality. He was _starving_.

As it was clear his new _roommate _couldn't be taking care of the dinner that night, Jack shook his head and decided to take the matter in his own hands. _Sure_, all of his chores were normally taken care of by someone else, and _sure_, he had been a little spoiled over the years. But he was an adult, for fuck's sake. He could cook something, probably.

Walking to the kitchen, the boy stood in front of the fridge for a few minutes, gapping helplessly at its content. He finally grabbed a few eggs, cursing the gods when one slipped from his hands and crashed on the kitchen tiles.

Swearing relentlessly, Jack set a frying pan on the stove, and turned it on at the highest level as he went to clean up the mess he'd made. Once he was done, he went back to the stove and broke a couple of eggs, whining loudly when a few shells found their way into the pan. Determined on making this right—and proving he _could _take care of himself—he grabbed the boiling handle and let out a pained cry, shaking his hand up and down in hope of easing the pain as the pan clattered back on the stove ring.

He was standing in the middle of the kitchen, holding his injured hand, with no clue on what to do, when Hiccup came walking back into the room. The brunet stared at him distrustingly, carefully taking in the mess that had occurred in the kitchen, before pointing at the sink.

« Go put your hand under cold water » Hiccup order « I'll take care of the burning stuff »

« What? » Jack asked « It's not— _Shit!_ » he groaned, finally noticing the black smoke coming from the stove. Without thinking, he tried grabbing the pan again, only to cry out in utter agony and drop it on the floor, scattering food all over the kitchen. « _Fuck!_ »

« Odin's beard! » Hiccup cursed, pushing Jack towards the sink and running ice-cold water over his wounded hand « Are you trying to get yourself _killed_? »

Jack winced in pain, looking away from the brunet who was cradling—not so gently, mind you—his aching hand. After a few minutes, the pain slowly subsided. Hiccup dragged Jack to the nearest stool, ordering him to stay put as he went to get the first-aid kit.

A few minutes later, Jack's hand was covered in ointment and properly banded.

« If the pain gets worse by tomorrow, we'll have to check you into the hospital » Hiccup said, frowning.

Jack nodded, still sulking slightly, when his starving stomach decided to make itself known by growling loudly. The boy looked away.

« Stay still » Hiccup sighed « I'll make us something… Just try not to cause another disaster »

The brunet pulled Toothless—who was sniffing curiously at the mess—away from the burnt eggs on the floor, and pulled out another frying pan from a cupboard. He cracked a few eggs opened, pouring the content in the pan, before trying to scrape off the burnt parts of the one Jack had dropped, to no avail.

Once the kitchen was clean, and eggs were sizzling in the pan, slightly golden on the edges, the boy set them in two plates, and handed one to Jack.

The boy looked cautiously at the food. Sure, he hadn't expected anything grand, but he had al least hoped for something a little more fancy than plain eggs.

« That's it? » he asked, poking at the yolk with his fork.

Hiccup didn't even bother to look up from his plate, slowly chewing on his food.

« Well I'm not making anything else. » he said « So, either you eat this, or you starve »

And Jack didn't need to be told twice.

* * *

**AN****: There you go! I hope this chapter wasn't too crappy! I know I portray Jack as being really mean, which is completely out of character for him, but I really want the story to focus on the change in his personality as he stays with Hiccup, so I chose to start off with him acting like a total asshole. Please don't be too mad at me!**

**Also, I had a little question: I'm already uploading a few stories simultaneously (with this one, _Infected_, _Band You're Alive_ and the _Music Drabbles_), but I keep getting inspired to write more and more stories. I'm not even kidding, I have at least a dozen others planned out (and that's just counting the multi-chapter stories, don't get me started on the One-Shots). I really want to upload them now, but I'm scared it might cause me to update the stories I was working on before a lot slower (I get side-tracked a lot...).**

**So I really need your help! What would you rather I do: Upload a bunch of different stories, even if it means slower updates on each of them, or focus on the ones I'm uploading now, and keep the others for when I'm done?**

**I'm really sorry to bother you with that, I'm an insecure wreck when it comes to my writing **


	3. Price of Fame

**Hey guys! Sorry I took so long to update, life is hell right now! Thank you so much to all of you who reviewed the previous chapters, your feedbacks give me the motivation to keep writing *^***

**Anyway, here's chapter 3! Enjoy!**

* * *

The next morning, Hiccup was awoken by the nagging sound of his alarm clock buzzing in his ear. The brunet groaned, and rolled around in his bed to slam his hand on the snooze button, but only managed to hit the corner of his nightstand.

The boy's eyes shot open, and he sat up in a jolt, cradling his stinging hand as he moaned in pain. Well, at least he was awake now.

When he heard that his master was awake, Toothless didn't waste a second to jump on the bed, front paws digging in the brunet's stomach as he moaned in pain once more.

« Toothless, down bud! » he pleaded with a laugh, pushing the drooling dog away from him.

The dog jumped off, and spun around the bed happily. Hiccup chuckled, patting the animal's head affectionately as he tried wiping the saliva off of his face.

« Yeah, yeah » he said when the dog gave a small bark « Good morning to you too bud »

Hiccup slapped the alarm, shutting the devilish device off, and pulled himself out of bed. Sitting on the edge of the mattress, he ran his hands through his hair, waiting for the fog in his mind to subside. To say that wasn't a morning person was a _huge _understatement.

Shooting a glare at the glowing digits of the digital clock, the boy took in the fact that he had about two hours to get ready before his first class started. He got up lazily, dragging his feet on the cold wooden floor as he made his way to the bathroom.

He made a halt in front of Jack's room, and knocked on the closed door.

« Jack » he called, rubbing his face, still half-asleep « I'm going to take a shower, we'll leave in an hour and a half, make sure to be ready »

The shower help, a little. The cold water managed to chase a bit of the numbness away, and throw Hiccup into a state of somewhat consciousness, enough to make and eat breakfast and feed his pet without injuring himself.

Throwing a shirt over his head, he glanced at the clock again. They had to leave in twenty minutes if they didn't want to be late for classes, and still Hiccup saw no sign of Jack.

Grunting and buttoning up his pants, the brunet walked to the closed door again, and knocked, more loudly this time.

« Jack, are you up? »

No answer.

« Jack we're going to be late, _hurry up_ »

Still nothing.

« I'm coming in, I hope you're decent »

When he was once again answered by nothing but silence, Hiccup turned the handle and pushed the door open. _Please be wearing clothes, please please please be wearing clothes..._

Hiccup's eyes widened slight, taken aback by what was inside the room. It was quite a sight, really.

Jack was lying in his bed, spread on top of crumpled covers, his limbs sticking out in awkward angles. He was only wearing a pair of blue boxers, probably suffering from the heat, and Hiccup thanked the Gods the boy didn't sleep completely naked. That would've been a trauma hard to erase.

Jack's face was pressed against the mattress, sheets marks all over his cheeks, and a bit of drool dribbling from his chin.

Hiccup silently wondered how much a picture of the _Great Jack Frost_ in such a state could sell on Craigslist. He shook his head, and got closer to the boy, reaching out to slowly shake his shoulder.

« Jack, _get up_ »

When he received no sign of the other waking up, he shook him harder and harder, raising his voice, but in vain. The best he got was a gross, guttural noise from the back of the boy's throat.

« Oh, for the love of— »

Hiccup stormed out of the room, only to come back moments later, a bucket full of cold water in hands. Without a second thought, he tossed it all at Jack, earning a screeching yelp when the icy liquid made contact with the boy's sleeping form. Jack screamed, throwing himself out of the bed and onto the floor with a loud '_thump_'. He quickly sat up, looking around the room in utter shock, seemingly uncertain of where he was anymore.

« W-W-What the— How— _HUH_? »

« Get up » Hiccup ordered « You're already late. I guess you can skip the shower, now » he turned around to leave, but stopped by the door. « You should take care of the mattress first » he said, pointing at the bed « We don't have a spare one ». With that, he left and slammed the door behind him, leaving Jack completely shell-shocked.

By the time they reached the campus of the college, Hiccup was fighting the killer headache caused by Jack's incessant nagging. It seemed like that would be a thing, from now on.

The brunet sighed as Jack went on and on about how outrageous the morning's events had been.

« Listen, _princess _» Hiccup glared, turning around and jabbing a finger into the other's chest « I don't know what you were expecting coming here, but this isn't a trip to the spa. I get payed to bring you safely to and from your classes, but that's it. If you don't want to take this seriously, that's your problem. Just don't make a mess around you, _some of us_ here take our studies seriously »

Without waiting for an answer, Hiccup turned around again, and walked in the building. He wouldn't be able to keep up like that for long, he knew it. Jack probably knew it just as well, which was why he'd been acting like a massive dick every breathing second they had spent together.

Once he walked inside the college building, Hiccup found himself relaxing a bit. The clean marble floor and stainless beige walls were a reassuring sight to him, a friendly reminder that his "Jack" problem was only temporary, and soon enough it'd all be over.

The brunet's mood improved significantly more when he spotted a familiar blonde sitting on a bench, checking her phone.

« Astrid! » Hiccup called out.

The girl's head shot up, and she gave him a warm smile as she stood up. Hiccup walked faster, catching her off guard when he pulled her into a hug.

« Hiccup, what's wrong? » Astrid asked, patting the boy's back with an amused smile.

« I'm gonna _kill _him » the brunet moaned into the girl's hair.

Astrid gave him a puzzled look, but suddenly seemed to notice the white-haired boy standing behind Hiccup, glaring daggers into his back.

« Oh, hi! » she smiled, pushing Hiccup away softly, and turned to Jack « You must be Hiccup's new job, right? »

Jack simply ignored her, and turned to the brunet instead.

« She _knows_? » he asked, although his tone was more accusing than questioning « Aren't you supposed to be a top-secret professional or whatever? Figured you'd go screaming it on every rooftop »

« Okay, first of all » Hiccup turned around, furious. « This was never a secret, I just don't see the point of telling everyone about it » He stepped closer to Jack, threateningly « You're not that big of a deal, Jack » he spat « And besides, she's the only one to know » he added, gesturing at Astrid « She's like family to me, of course she knows »

The blonde girl pulled a face at how palpable the tension between the two was. Deciding to ease the awkwardness, she cleared her throat and held out a hand to Jack.

« We haven't been properly introduced, I'm Astrid »

Jack stared at the girl, looking her up and down judgingly before raising an eyebrow.

« I'm not gonna remember that » he said.

Hiccup forced a laugh, throwing his hands in the air.

« That guy's unbelievable! » he groaned « I can't believe anyone would act like such an _ass!_ »

« Why you little— »

The two stepped closer, ready to rip each other's throat out, but Astrid quickly stepped in, grabbing Hiccup by the arm and pulling him away.

« Hiccup! » she said, snapping the boy out of his blind rage « How about we help Jack get his schedule, okay? »

The brunet rolled his eyes, but agreed nonetheless, and walked with Astrid as Jack followed reluctantly behind.

The white-haired boy watched as Hiccup slowly calmed down, and started talking more actively to his friend. After a couple of minutes, he had a smile plastered on his lips as he spoke about one thing or another, which pissed Jack off to no end. He had expected his new body guard to be a generally unpleasant person, but the fact that he could warm up to others and that he was being treated differently got under his skin.

When Astrid waved them goodbye and left, and Hiccup turned around to glare at Jack and growl a reluctant « let's go », the boy snapped.

« No »

« What? » Hiccup turned around, unsure if he had heard right.

« I'm not going anywhere with you » Jack snarled.

« What's that supposed to mean? » the brunet asked, pulling Jack by the wrist and dragging him somewhere less populated.

« It means I'm fed up with this little _joke _» the other hissed, pulling away fem Hiccup's grip « I don't know what my manager had in mind when he forced me into this mess, but I'm done. I'm not going to accept being treated like shit by the likes of you. »

« _Excuse _me? » Hiccup spat, completely stunned.

« You heard me »

« Are you kidding me? » the brunet faked a laugh « You've been acting like a jackass since the second we met, and you're upset because I've ignored you two freaking minutes? What are you, six? » He ignored Jack's glare and kept going « Let me tell you something, you numbskull. I don't know what kind of fucked up fairy tale land you grew up in, but this is the real world. And here, you can't just treat people like shit and expect them to do your bidding! »

Jack didn't answer, glaring holes in the other boy. Hiccup rolled his eyes and raised his hands slightly.

« But, _please_, don't let me stop you! » he said « If you want to leave, be my guest! Just know this... » Emerald eyes caught icy blue ones, and Hiccup fiercely held Jack's gaze as he added, his voice firmer than before « If you stay, don't expect me to treat you like a decent fucking human being until you start acting like one »

With that, the brunet turned around, pulling on the strap of his bag, and walked to his class, uncaring of wether the white-haired teen would follow him or not.

Hiccup slumped into a seat in the back of the room, dropping his bag next to him. It was barely 8.30am and he was already exhausted. This was going to be a very long day.

He heard the chair next to his being pulled, and he turned to see Jack sitting down, obviously still annoyed and not sparing him a glance. Hiccup—although he'd deny it if questioned—sighed in relief when the white-haired boy took his place next to him in class, glad he wouldn't have to explain to his father how he had lost his client after barely 12 hours in his company.

The rest of the day went painfully slowly. Jack wasn't enjoying any of his classes, and his body guard's silent treatment wasn't helping, either.

The worst part was that, aside from a few curious glances every now and then—probably because of the hair—Jack had gone relatively unnoticed by the other college students.

When North had suggested to send him back to his studies, he had thought he'd be recognized immediately, expecting some sort of riot as his fans would've clawed at each other to get his autograph.

Sure, he wasn't wearing any of his extravagant stage clothes—Jack pulled a face at his current outfit; plain black skinny jeans and a blue zip-up hoodie over a white shirt. He was even wearing blue sneakers. Sneakers!—but despite his unmistakable white hair and blue eyes, he still felt... _Invisible_.

When their last class ended, Jack sighed in relief. He wanted to get back to that ridiculously small place they dared to call and apartment, and beg North to let him go back to his usual life.

As he was about to leave, Hiccup gestured for the boy to wait for him in the hall as he went to talk with one of the professors. Jack grunted. There was no way he'd sit around and wait outside like a pet dog. Pulling up the hood of his sweatshirt, he walked out of the building, leaving the brunet behind.

Once he was outside, Jack took a second to enjoy the slight hum of the city slowly coming to life. He usually rarely had the time to appreciate the reddish hues of the setting sun, or the soft warmth of the evening breeze on his face. Most of the time, he had to rush through crowds of fans, without a second to take in how peaceful little country towns like Burgess actually were. Maybe anonymity wasn't all so bad, after all.

Pushing his hands in the pockets of his hoodie, Jack walked through the town without a direction or purpose, simply enjoying the feeling of freedom it procured him.

However, this little moment of happiness came crumbling down as he felt a slight tap on his shoulder. He stopped and turned around, raising an eyebrow when he saw two teenage girls standing in front of him with the widest grins on their lips.

« Hi? » Jack asked, uncertain.

« _Oh my god!_ » the first one squealed, a girl with ginger hair pulled in two braids on each side of her face. « You're Jack Frost, aren't you? »

The boy gulped loudly, but before he could stutter an answer, the same girl let out a high-pitched scream, and Jack flinched at how shrill her voice was. The girl bounced up and down excitedly, turning at her friend—a blonde with thick-framed glasses—and rambling about how she had told her so.

Jack took a step back, feeling the urge to escape before the girls went completely ballistic. But the teens swiftly grabbed his arm, forcing various items into his arms—sign _this_, look at _that_, kiss _this_—and snapped dozens of pictures with their cell phones.

Before long, their antics attracted the other pedestrians' attention, and soon those two girls were replaced by a whole crowd of insane fangirls.

The white-haired singer felt completely at lost. He'd thought he was used to the attention, but without anyone to keep the fans at a respectable distance, he had a hard time handling the screaming, the touching, the _groping_.

His head started spinning as the teens swarmed around him, squealing and screaming until their throats went sore. Jack was pretty sure that he would be permanently deaf if he somehow made it out if this mess.

Suddenly, he was violently pulled back, and he closed his eyes as he expected another herd of hands to claw at his clothes and limbs. Instead, he was dragged away from the crowd crying for him to come back.

Confused, Jack stumbled to his feet, craning his neck to get a glance at his new-found savior.

« Hiccup? » he called when he noticed the auburn hair and freckled face.

The brunet dragged him down the road, pulling him into a small alleyway, and pushed him against the wall. Furious, he threw his hands in the air as he screamed;

« What the _fuck _were you thinking? I told you to wait for me! »

Jack didn't speak back, but a frown found a way on his face as his initial shock wore off.

« Jack you can't just go around by yourself! » Hiccup spat « Imagine what would have happened if I hadn't found you! »

« I was doing fine on my own » Jack lied through his teeth.

« Yeah, sure! » the other boy forced a laugh « So I guess you _weren't _about to be eaten alive by a bunch of crazed twelve-years old! »

« How'd you even find me? »

« I followed you! I figured out you wouldn't have the decency to follow an order as simple as _'stay' _» he scoffed « Besides, you weren't exactly hard to track down »

Jack rolled his eyes, pushing past the smaller boy as he tried to walk away. Hiccup, however, grabbed his shoulder and spun him around, forcing the other to face him.

« I'm not kidding! » he hissed « It's dangerous for you to go alone! If it wasn't, I wouldn't be there in the first place! » Hiccup's tone got harsher « So stop acting like a _drama queen_ for five goddamn seconds and don't ever try to pull something like that again! »

Jack crunched his nose, huffing in annoyance as he looked away.

« Next time I won't be there to save your sorry ass, Jack. Understood? » When he didn't get an answer, he dug his nails deeper into the boy's shoulder, managing to get his attention as he looked up to him « _Understood?_ » he said again, stressing each syllable.

« Yeah yeah, whatever » Jack scowled, freeing himself for Hiccup's grasp and walking out of the alleyway, back into the main street.

The fans had all left, and Jack kicked the curb like a kid throwing a tantrum as he walked back to their apartment. He felt Hiccup walking close behind, and he grunted, wishing the world would just cut him some slack.

* * *

**AN****: ****_It's dangerous to go alone, take this!_**** (****I apologize for being a fucking nerd****)**

**I'm sorry if there isn't much happening here. I really needed to show that Jack acts like an ass towards everyone, not just Hiccup. I'm hoping to really distance myself from the cliché "we act like we hate each other but in reality we are in love for no reason". I want their relationship to be built progressively, because they genuinely can't stand each other at first.**

**Also, don't worry, you won't have to go through dozens of chapters of random insults throwing, and Jack should start to warm up to Hiccup in the next chapter (just a bit, though).**

**Anyway, I hope you're not too mad for making Jack completely OOC in yet another chapter, I swear he'll start acting more like himself soon! Please tell me what you thought of this chapter in a review, I really enjoy hearing what you guys think of this story! Take care! xxx**


	4. No One Likes Grocery Shopping

**Hey guys! I finally managed to write the next chapter, even though my body is failing me. I'm sleep deprived, and everything hurts, it's not even funny. No kidding, I have the stamina and physical strength of an 80-years-old lady.**

**Anyway, this is where Jack and Hiccup (hopefully) start warming up to each other! AMEN! **

**Thank you so much to all of those who followed/faved the story, and an especially big thanks to all of those who left a review on the previous chapters! It really keeps me going to know that you enjoy what I write! I'm sorry if I'm a bit behind on replies, I'll get to it right away! **

**Enjoy chapter 4!**

* * *

The afternoon sun was filtering through the dust-clouded windows of the college library, bathing the room in soft hues of red. The smell of old parchment and ink gave off a relaxing and peaceful feeling to the few students still working there.

Eyes glued on the pages of a book, fingers slowly tracing the lines and mind absorbed in his reading, Hiccup let out a satisfied sigh. Places like these made him feel so satisfied and comfortable. Surrounded by books, the brunet felt like nothing could get to him.

Not even the constant rolling of Jack's pen which, chin pressed on the edge of the desk, he kept blowing away from his face in boredom.

The white-haired singer wasn't quite used to wait around with nothing to do, and the fact that Hiccup insisted on staying back after their last class to read—_read!_—was causing him to grow more and more annoyed with each ticking second.

« Are you done yet? » Jack asked for the millionth time in the past hour. Like each time, Hiccup simply gave him an absent-minded shrug. « Ugggghhhh » he groaned, slamming his forehead on the desk.

« Don't hit your head » the brunet muttered without looking up from his book « You're going to ruin what's left of your non-existant brain »

« Then _hurry up_ » he pressed, ignoring the insult.

Hiccup sighed, and finally resigned himself to close the book, holding it up for a second, eyes closed, before sighing and stuffing it in his bag.

« You're such a pain in the ass » he complained as he got off from his chair « You can't stay still for one little hour, can you? »

« And _you_— » Jack shot back « Are such a kill-joy! I can't believe you chose to stay here and read, when we could've been doing something better… »

« Yeah yeah, whatever » Hiccup waved him off.

The walked out of the college grounds, ambling down the streets, towards their apartment. It was a twenty minutes walk at most, which could've been easily avoided by taking a bus, but Jack's buzz-kill of a bodyguard had insisted on walking, saying they both needed "exercice" and "fresh air" or whatever.

« I have to stop by the convenience store before we get home » Hiccup said.

« What for? » Jack crunched his nose.

« Groceries »

« You want to go _grocery shopping_? » the white-haired boy hissed, incredulous.

« Well, yeah » Hiccup answered, raising an eyebrow « We're low on food, I don't think we have anything to eat for tonight »

« And why do _I _have to come? »

« Because I'm supposed to keep an eye on you 24/7, dumbass » the brunet rolled his eyes.

« Bullshit » Jack spat, walking past the other boy « I'm not going to carry plastic bags around just so you can baby-sit me. You take care of that, I'm going back »

Hiccup stopped to a halt and grabbed the singer by the collar, spinning him around.

« Listen up, ass-face » he hissed « I already told you that where I go, you go. Don't count on me to be your errand-boy. Now, I'm going to go buy some goddamn food, and you're going to follow me without so much as a word » He jabbed a finger in the boy's chest « Either you come, or you starve. _Capisce_? »

Jack shot him a glare and pushed the other's hand away, but rolled his eyes and followed him nonetheless.

The shop was a few blocks away from their apartment. It wasn't much, really, but the owner was decently nice and their isles had enough food to fill his kitchen, so Hiccup didn't complain.

They walked through the automatic doors, greeted by the mechanical '_ding_' it made, and the smaller teen pulled out a list from his bag.

« Alright » he said « Let's get this over with »

Hiccup pointed the different isles to Jack, telling him what they needed in each of them. Needless to say, the white-haired boy was less than cooperative. He kept ignoring the brunet's orders to help him out, and barely answered with a shrug when asked to choose between two products.

After a couple of minutes, Hiccup gave up on the idea of getting any help from Jack, and decided to act like he wasn't there, nagging him as he followed him around.

« You're taking _that_? » Jack asked, picking up the cereal box the brunet had just put down in their cart.

« Yeah? » Hiccup asked, unsure of what the issue was.

« My god » the other grunted, holding the box at arm's length, looking disgusted « Never in my life have I ever seen a more cheap-looking thing… » He dropped the box back in the cart, and eyed the other products lying in it. « For the love of— Are you _allergic _to quality products? »

« Well _excuse me_ » the brunet hissed « Not everyone has your financial wealth, Ô Mighty Jack » he slapped the box Jack was holding back in the cart « Sorry if I can't afford any fancy products, I'm still repaying my student loan, jackass » he glared daggers at the boy « And need I remind you that I also have to provide for the _freeloader _that's crashing my guest bedroom? »

That part wasn't exactly true. All of Jack's expenses would be repaid by his company by the end of the month. But it wasn't _Jack's _money, and at least that last comment managed to get his point across.

Jack rolled his eyes, dragging his feet on the squeaky floor as Hiccup returned to pushing the cart down the isles, all the while complaining about the taller teen's behavior.

« Seriously, get you head out of your ass, Frost » Hiccup huffed, grabbing a few products from the shelves and putting them down in the cart « You can't just expect everyone to have the financial stability of a freaking rock star. Some of us out here have it pretty hard. Not everyone has the chance of having mommy and daddy behind us to bend to our every will. »

He kept on talking for a while, eyes darting from his grocery list to the shelves, grabbing what he needed and stopping from time to time to compare prices, all the while rambling and complaining about life as a broke student.

After a few minutes, he noticed the old lady staring at him in confusion from across the isle. She seemed a bit worried, and Hiccup groaned, turning around to see what mess Jack had caused, _again_. But, much to his surprise, there was no sign of the white-haired man.

An alarm went off in the brunet's mind, and he dashed down the isle, abandoning his cart for the time being. He ran through the shop, scanning every corner in hope of spotting Jack, but to no avail. As he was about to inform the security, he finally noticed the mop of white hair sticking out like a sore thumb in the middle of the frozen section.

« Jack! » Hiccup yelled, catching up with the boy « Where the f— »

The brunet shut up just in time when he saw that Jack wasn't alone. The white-haired teen was crouching in front of a little girl with long blonde hair falling over puffy red eyes. Her tiny hands were clasped on a tattered stuffed rabbit, holding it for protection.

« Who's that? » Hiccup asked, leaning towards the girl « Is she crying? Jack, did you make her— »

« I didn't do _anything _» Jack hissed at the accusation.

Hiccup noticed that, although his voice was as harsh as always during their arguments, the taller teen was making an effort to keep his tone low, in hope that it wouldn't freak out the child more than she already was.

« I saw her alone, crying, and I came over to help » the boy added, reporting his attention to the little girl « I think she lost her mother » he said.

The girl nodded, and Jack gave her a warm smile.

« What's your name, kiddo? » he asked, grabbing her free hand and wiping his other thumb on her cheek, brushing the tears away.

« Sophie Bennett » the child said proudly, exposing her missing teeth as she grinned.

« Well well, Sophie » Jack smiled « I'm Jack, and Mr. Gumpy-Face over here is Hiccup » the child giggled, and the singer let out a laugh of his own « How about we help you find your mommy, okay? »

The child nodded actively, and Jack stood up.

« You stay with her » he said, turning to Hiccup « And I'll go make an announcement at the front desk »

He was about to walk away when he was caught off by a whine. Turning around, he saw Sophie grabbing onto the hem of his jeans, eyes pleading and filled with tears once again.

« I don't think she really likes me » Hiccup pointed out.

« Well, I guess I'll come with you, then » Jack laughed.

With a smile, he scooped Sophie off the floor, and settled her on his shoulders, earning a joy-filled laugh from the child. Hiccup walked behind, watching carefully as Jack ran down the isles, making '_woosh_' noises to entertain the girl.

When they reached the front desk, Sophie was holding onto Jack's hair, babbling about one thing or another as the white-haired teen nodded and answered like he understood every last word of her childish nonsense.

« Sophie! » a cry came from the desk, and the little girl started wiggling on Jack's shoulder when she spotted the woman in her early thirties rushing towards them.

« Mommy! » she called.

Jack lifted the child off his shoulders, and gently put her down on the floor, laughing when she stumbled towards her mother, who picked her up into a tight hug.

« Oh Sophie I was so worried, where have you been? »

« I was with Jack! » Sophie smiled, and the woman finally seemed to notice the two teens standing next to them.

« Oh! » the mother gasped, immediately recognizing Jack. « Thank you so much for helping my Sophie » she said, holding onto the girls hand as she took a step towards the boys « I hope she didn't cause you too much trouble. »

« No, don't worry » Jack shook his head, offering a stunning grin « I'm just glad we managed to find you quickly »

The woman nodded, and seemed to ponder for a second, looking embarrassed as she carefully scanned Jack's face.

« I don't mean to sound rude » she said « But you look an awful lot like this singer my son is crazy about »

« Yeah » Jack nodded « That's probably me, I'm Jack Frost »

« Oh goodness! » she gasped again, holding a hand in front of her mouth before pulling a notepad out of her bag « Would it be completely inappropriate to— »

« Not at all » he smiled, taking the pad from her and scribbling a few words on it, giving her his best smile when she snapped a picture on her phone.

« Thank you so much » she smiled « Jamie is going to be so happy about this! »

Jack nodded, and leaned down to ruffle Sophie's hair, smiling when he earned a giggled from the girl.

« Now be good, Soph' » he said « Don't go running off like that again »

The child laughed, and her mother smiled fondly at them, scooping the girl up in her arms.

« Thank you again for helping my daughter » she said « I don't know what I would've done without you »

« Don't worry about it » Jack shrugged « It was my pleasure »

The two boys said their goodbyes as Sophie's mother carried her out of the shop, the girls waving her rabbit around. They didn't move until the automatic doors closed behind them and they both disappeared into the parking lot.

« So » Jack said, massaging his shoulders as he turned back to Hiccup « _Please _tell me we're almost done with this »

As they walked back to their cart, Hiccup stared at the white-haired boy with an eyebrow raised, a ghost of a smile tugging at the corner of his lips. Of all people, Jack was the last person he'd expected to be good with children. With the shitty manners and provoking attitude he usually displayed, Hiccup had assumed Jack wouldn't stand being around kids, let alone be able to interact with toddlers without having them screaming bloody murder.

The brunet found strange how he seemed to have discovered an unexpected aspect of Jack's personality. Maybe he wasn't so bad after all.

« Hurry up » Jack urged « I want to get this poor-people shopping over with, and _quick _»

Or maybe he was.

* * *

**AN: There you go! It wasn't much, really, but at least they aren't trying to rip each other's throats quite as much. Also I'm glad I could include the Bennett kids in the story! Unlike Astrid, we probably won't see anymore of them, but Sophie's adorable and I loved adding her to the chapter.**

**The change in Jack and Hiccup's relationship might be a bit quicker from now on, but I'll try to keep it at a realistic pace. I know "there's a thin line between love and hate" blablabla but you can't expect two people to jump from attempting murder to humping each other's brains out just like that. So, yeah, I hope none of you mind that I'm taking my time with this. If you feel like it really gets too slow, please tell me, I'll try taking it up a notch :)**

**Thanks again for reading, and please let me know what you thought of this chapter in a review ;w; **

**Take care! xxx**

**Guest(Ige)****: Thanks for your review! As for the classes they're taking, I can't say for sure, since I'm not too familiar with the American scholar systems (being French and all that), but what I had in mind was that Hiccup was already a student before Jack came along. I like the idea that Hiccup wasn't too sure what path to follow, yet, so his classes would be pretty general (calculus, history, art probably, etc.), and Jack just tagged along until he could pick his own classes. I'm not really getting into those details in the story (yet, anyway), mostly because it doesn't really affect the plot in any way, but also because I didn't want to give any details that would be incoherent with the plot or later elements. I hope this made at least a bit of sense! Sorry if my answer was confusing! Thanks again for reading and reviewing! **


	5. Lazy Saturday Mornings

Hi! Thank you so much for the crazy amount of review you guys left on the previous chapters! I still can't believe I'm getting so much support with this story, I feel so happy!

Anyway, I just finished writing chapter 5, so there you go! I probably won't be able to update for a while, since I'm going on holidays with a friend starting Monday, and by the time I come back my classes will have started again (college freaks me out, man)! I'll try writing as often as I can while I'm away, but I can't make any promises, sorry!

As for now, brace yourself for chapter 5, where nothing much really happens but Hiccup and Jack's relationship takes a turn (hopefully for the best)! Enjoy, and please let me know what you thought of it!

* * *

That Saturday, Hiccup was awoken by the soft glow of the late morning sun filtering through the curtains of his window, bathing the room in its light.

The brunet steered in his bed, rolling on his back and stretching his arms over his head with a satisfied groan. At the sound of his master coming to life, Toothless jumped up, pacing around the bed with excited yelps.

« Good morning, bud » Hiccup greeted, reaching out to pet the dog, who instantly nuzzled the boy's hand. When Toothless licked his palm, the brunet chuckled and withdrew his hand, wiping it on the bed covers.

Glancing at his clock, he saw that it was almost 10 am, meaning he had slept in longer than he'd intended to. Not that he had anything planned for the day. Hiccup just wasn't one to laze around all day, even on his free time.

Throwing his legs over the covers, the brunet shivered when the morning chill came biting his skin. He pushed himself off the bed, tangling his fingers in his messy locks as he dragged his feet across the room.

« Want some breakfast, bud? » he asked as he came out of the room, making his way to the kitchen with the dog following closely behind, giving a bark of approval.

In the kitchen, Hiccup pulled out a clean plate and a can of dog food, peaking into the living-room when he heard a couple of voices.

Jack was sitting on the couch, legs stretched out on the cushions, lazily flipping through the few TV channels he owned.

« Morning, sleeping ugly! » he greeted, smirking when he earned an annoyed groan from the smaller teen.

« You're awake? » the brunet asked, crunching his nose. Seeing how much of a struggle waking Jack up had been during the week, he hadn't expected to see the boy conscious until later in the afternoon.

Truthfully, Hiccup was a bit disappointed to see he would've have a bit of time of his own before the white haired teen came bothering him.

« I had a phone call to make, so I was up pretty early » Jack explained.

« Whoa » Hiccup clapped sarcastically, walking back to his breakfast « So even you can show some professionalism? » he called from the kitchen « I'm impressed »

« Hardy-har-har » the white-haired boy faked a laugh « Look who's being a sarcastic little shit so early in the morning »

Hiccup huffed, placing a plate of dog food on the floor, taking a step back when Toothless started swallowing it whole.

His relationship with Jack hadn't progressed much since the beginning of the week. They still had troubles communicating like normal human beings. Astrid liked to compare them to two pissed-off cats hissing at each other. At least they could now exchange simple phrases without jumping at each other's throat.

Hiccup grabbed a few toasts for himself and joined Jack in the living-room, almost tripping over the edge of the coffee table when he walked around the sofa.

« Well look at that » Jack mocked « Seems like Mr. Tough Guy is actually pretty clumsy when he's still sleepy »

Hiccup almost argued, but was cut off when he hit his calve on the edge of the table, groaning in pain.

« See? » Jack laughed. It was obvious he was dying to tell him '_I told you so_'. But if he refrained, the shit-eating grin he was wearing was saying it loud and clear.

Hiccup glared daggers at him, kicking him to the side of the sofa and taking a seat on the other edge. He snatched the remote control from the other's hands, changing the output and turning on the gaming console, reaching for the controller on the table.

« Dude! » Jack hissed « I was watching TV! »

« And now I'm playing » Hiccup shrugged, shooting the other a glare when the white-haired boy kicked his leg in frustration.

« Are you _serious_? » he spat, trying to get a hold of the remote, but Hiccup kept it out of his reach « For fuck's sake, man, I was there first! »

« Like I care » the brunet rolled his eyes « My home, my TV, my rules » the title screen loaded, and the smaller teen pointed at the second controller on the table « Now either grab a controller, or go mope somewhere else ».

Jack let out a groan, but got up to grab the second controller, crashing back on the sofa while the game loaded. It was a generic First-Person Shooter game, and soon enough the white-haired boy was familiar with the controls. Hiccup launched a new one-on-one game, and the two were thrown in different parts of an abandoned town, trying to track the other down.

Despite his many efforts, Jack was terrible at this game. After a dozen rounds, he'd been shot thirty times, and only managed to score a couple of kills.

« Okay, that's it » he hissed, throwing the controller on his lap « You're definitely cheating »

« I am _not! _» Hiccup rolled his eyes, slightly offended. « Face it, you just suck »

« Nuh-hu! » Jack shook his head vigorously « My character keeps freezing, your game is defective »

« Oh gods » the brunet gasped « I knew you were kind if bratty, I never thought you'd be such a sore loser! »

« I'm not— »

« Looooooooseeeeeeer » Hiccup cut him off, chuckling when Jack tried to hit him with a cushion.

The white-haired teen grunted, getting off the couch and abandoning the controller on the floor.

« What's that? » the smaller teen cooed, tilting his head to the side as he watched the other walk by « Did I offend you? Is that why you're pouting, _big baby boo_? »

Jack stomped out of the living-room, and Hiccup couldn't hold back a laugh when he heard the door of his room slam shut.

Jack definitely wasn't very gracious in defeat.

After a couple of hours of solo-playing, Hiccup got bored and turned off the gaming device, deciding it was time to prepare lunch. He walked to the kitchen, poking his head into the hallway to see that Jack's bedroom door was still closed. Rolling his eyes, he went back to his cooking, the gnawing sensation in his stomach urging him to gulp down any kind of food, and fast.

Toothless stayed within close distance to his master, giving him pleading looks in hope of being thrown a few scraps. Hiccup smiled, knowing his pet always went in a frenzy whenever he made fish-stew. The dog had strangely cat-like behaviors, sometimes.

Once the stew was on the stove, the brunet walked down the hall, resolved to put an end to the other teen's moping. He stopped in front of the bedroom, hand hovering over the door when he heard a soft sound coming from the inside.

At first he'd thought Jack was talking to someone—or himself, most likely—but, leaning closer, he recognized the muffled sound of a guitar, and realized Jack was in fact _singing_.

Hiccup slowly pushed the door open, trying not to make a sound. He wasn't trying to hide, but he didn't feel like interrupting, either.

Jack was sitting on the bed, back turned to the door, guitar in his lap as he strummed delicately, humming along a melody the brunet hadn't heard before.

« _I can taste your lemonade, bittersweet like every summer fling_ » Jack sung softly, his voice almost hushed into a whisper « _And keeping up with all your stories, talking to your ghost when I'm asleep_ »

« _No you're never really dead to me, maybe that's the mystery of us_ » his voice slowed down, so soft that Hiccup knew that, had he not been in the same room, he probably wouldn't have heard it «_ I use to think when you were gone, I would still hear voices in the halls _»

Hiccup had never been fond of Jack's singing. His songs were tacky and loud, lacking originality or feelings. But this was different, he'd never heard the singer's voice trembling so much as he hummed.

« _I can feel the red rain on me, I can see you shaking when we kiss_ » his fingers tickled the chords, barely making any sound at all. « _You still hit me like a buzz, seventeen and drunk enough to wish _»

He caught his breath again, sounding like his chest was unbearably heavy « _And you really got your hooks on me, maybe that's the punishment for love_ » he sung again « _I still stay up late at night, trying to hear your voices in the halls_ »

« _In the halls—_ » his voice dragged on, rising and dropping softly, singing the same phrase over and over again, breaking ever-so-slightly when he reached the end of the chorus. « _You can hear me late at night, singing to the voices in the halls_ »

« _Every time we drive the coast, heading towards Las Vegas in your car_ » Jack's head was hanging low as he sung, white bangs falling over his eyes « _Playing on your broken speakers, me asleep and warm inside your arms_ »

Hiccup listened quietly, back pressed against the door, as the other's voice rose slightly. « _No it's never like what it used to be, maybe it's just never really was _» It dropped again, barely a whisper anymore « _But every night when I get home, I can hear your voices in the halls_ »

Jack's voice broke again, caught in his throat as he managed to choke out the last lines.

« _Every night when I'm alone, I can hear your voices in the halls_ »

The boy's fingers slipped on the chords one last time, ending the melody and bringing the room into a nearly deafening silence. Hiccup stayed speechless for a while, unsure of what to do.

When Jack's shoulders slumped down, and he set the guitar aside with a sigh, the brunet cleared his throat softly, making his presence known.

The white-haired boy jumped, head snapping into Hiccup's direction, trying to shoot him a glare despite his slightly reddened cheeks.

« That was different » the smaller teen stated. « Your other songs don't usually sound like that »

Jack didn't bother teasing the brunet about the fact that he _knew _about his other songs. It was nearly impossible to turn on the radio without having the latest hit single from the Guardians playing over and over again.

« Yeah » the agreed bitterly, frowning and picking up the guitar defensively « Sorry if this didn't sound like my usual rubbish commercial soup »

« I didn't say that » Hiccup shook his head, sitting on the edge of the bed, on the opposite side of Jack. « It was nice »

« Thanks » the other hesitated.

« Well, you know, for rubbish commercial soup »

Jack chuckled slightly, rolling his eyes. He had walked right into that one.

« I though you liked your songs » Hiccup asked « You're the one writing them, aren't you? »

« Yeah, well » the singer shrugged « It was fun at first, but after a while I've been sorta forced to stick to that trashy image the studio had fabricated for me »

« I didn't think that was a persona you made up » the brunet admitted. « You seemed so confident on the stage, I just assumed that was… you »

« Everyone does » Jack smiled sadly to himself, letting out a breathy, humorless laugh « But despite what you might think, I'm not all about the crazy parties and cheap one-night-stands »

Hiccup stayed silent for a while, guilt taking over him. It just dawned on him that he had in fact judged the singer based on counterfeited images he'd seen on TV. He had just assumed that Jack was this low-life jock, addicted to obnoxious parties and meaningless sex.

Sure, the guy was an ass, and had quite a bit of an attitude, but other than that, Jack had been nothing but decent all that time. Thinking back on it, he had acted nothing like what Hiccup had seen on TV.

« Sorry » the brunet muttered, lips pressed into a thin line as his eyes dung deeper into the mattress, avoiding the other's gaze.

« It's not your fault » Jack ran his hand in his hair, tangling his fingers in his white locks, looking down on his ankles « And, you know, it didn't use to bother me that much » he sighed « It's just that… I'm not sure I enjoy being Jack Frost anymore »

« Then why don't you change? » Hiccup asked, looking up to the other, puzzled by the revelation « You're a part of the band, too, I'm sure the others would understand »

Jack laughed darkly « I'm sure they would » he shook his head « Our producer… Not so much »

The brunet raised an eyebrow, pressing the singer to explain what he meant.

« Mr. Black » Jack said « He's in charge of the band, and the only thing that matters to him is how much money he can drain out of us »

« And you don't think he'd want you to change? »

« I know he wouldn't » Jack brought his legs closer to his chest « He's only interested in tacky, obnoxious Jack Frost, with trashy clothes and a thing for wild parties. Boring, old Jackson Overland, former country-boy from a broken home… Doesn't sound as appealing, now does it? »

Hiccup stayed silent for a while. It was hard to take in the fact that everything he knew about the famous celebrity Jack Frost was in fact a lie. But he knew how it felt to have to pretend to be someone you're not just to please someone else, he'd done that enough for his father. At least the brunet didn't have to put up the act with the whole world watching his every move.

« Well, for what it's worth, I enjoy the _Jackson _style a lot more… But, that's just me, what do I know… » he said, bitting his lips when Jack only shrugged. « And also, your producer seems like a pain in the ass » he added, chuckling when he finally managed to bring a smile to the other's lips.

« You have no idea » Jack laughed « North calls him to _Boogeyman _»

« Fitting »

The two teens laughed softly, still sitting on the bed next to each other. Jack had never told anyone how he felt, the real reason behind his rebellion as Jack Frost. He hadn't planned on telling anyone, either. He certainly hadn't planned on telling his nag of a bodyguard, the guy who had been constantly at his throat ever since the first day they met.

But he felt relieved, now, having a bit of the weight taken off his shoulders. Hiccup hadn't laughed, or made fun of him. He hadn't called him too sensitive, or pried into details he didn't want to reveal. No, he'd been pretty understanding, helping him vent out a bit of the frustration.

The whole thing could've gone a lot worse.

Jack looked up to the brunet fiddling with the hem of the bedsheets. He vaguely wondered why he had blurted everything out to that guy he barely knew. Not even his fellow band members knew about how he felt.

But somehow it felt alright that Hiccup knew. Hiccup with the snarky attitude and smart-mouthed comebacks. Hiccup with the short temper and annoying wit. Hiccup with the messy mop of brunet hair, and emerald green eyes that seem to always bear that sharp glint that pissed Jack off so much. Hiccup with the freckled-painted face and buck-teethed mouth always twisted into that sly grin of his.

Yes, Hiccup wasn't the person Jack enjoyed being around of the most, but he was probably the ideal person to confide into.

Which didn't make him any less of an arrogant smart-ass and cocky, infuriating prick.

Jack opened his mouth, fighting to find something to say, a way to maybe thank the brunet for listening. But he was cut off when he was hit by the sickening smell of burnt fish coming from the kitchen. Hiccup seemed to notice as well, because he jumped off the bed, running down the hall, gasping about forgetting to turn off the stove.

The white-haired singer chuckled when he heard the tap water running, and the smaller teen cursing to the gods from the kitchen while he tried fixing the mess he'd made.

Jack picked up his guitar, a smile to his lips as he strummed softly, playing a more lively melody than before, singing a song about freckles.

* * *

**AN****: There you go! FYI, the song Jack sings is ****_The Voices In The Hall_****, by Neon Trees. I strongly suggest you go listen to it, because It's really really nice and I'm absolutely addicted to their last album!**

**I tried my best so that it wouldn't seem like such a drastic change in Jack and Hiccup's relationship. I really wanted to show that, although they did become closer there, they're still far from being BFFs, let alone more than that. They kinda shared a moment here, but since their basic personalities didn't change, it'll still take more time for them to grow accustomed to the other's presence. **

**So, yeah, don't expect any heavy making out sessions in the next chapter... They'll still need a bit more time!**

**Anyway, please let me know what you thought of this chapter! I'm getting so many positive feedbacks, it really motivates me to keep writing! You guys are the absolute best, I love you all so so much! ;w; **

**Also, spoiler alert, I might've found a way to add more of the Bennett kids in the story! Yay!**

**Ige(Guest)****: Yep, I'm French! I spent a bit of time in England when I was a kid, but other than that I'm sort of self-taught, mostly from reading and writing so much in english (since english lessons in France are pretty pointless)… Which is probably why there are so many grammatical mistakes in my chapters, I'm so so sorry! **

**And, yeah, I see what you mean! For this particular story, I decided not to mention what major Hiccup is taking, since I didn't want to have to explain why he was still in college when he already had a job. It could be an interesting topic, but that would take the focus off the story, so I'm not sure I'll get into it. But it my other stories (the ones I already uploaded and the ones I'm still working on) I like to have Hiccup majoring in both Engineering and Arts. As for Jack, it's sort of a head-cannon of mine that he'd be a kindergarten teacher, since he's so good with kids (I'm writing a oneshot about that as we speak). I never really thought of Atmosphere Sciences as a possible major for him, but now that you mention it, it's actually quite fitting! **

**I'm still a bit uncomfortable with really digging into the subject, because French universities seem a lot different from American ones, from what I've experienced, and I wouldn't want to confuse people by messing it up. In France you kind of just pick a field you want to work in (I chose psychology) and you have to go through three years of general teaching before choosing between the different branches in that field. We don't really have stuff like « majors » and « minors », so I don't want to spout nonsense why getting into something I don't fully understand.**

**Anyway, thanks again for your comments, I'm really glad that you took an interest in my story! Sorry for the super long answer /**


End file.
